Lower School Division Director
Please download the opportunity statement, which contains information about Live Oak and the position, as well as required application materials to prepare in advance. All applications must be submitted online. Please review the How to Apply section below for further application instructions.
SUMMARY
Live Oak is hiring for a lower school division director (LSDD) to start July 1, 2025.
Live Oak School, a K-8 independent school in the heart of urban San Francisco, believes that the best learning happens when students are actively engaged in the process — thinking deeply, exploring ideas, and trying on strategies for solving problems. The school’s approach to teaching and learning is deeply rooted in progressive tradition and informed by contemporary research. Live Oak anchors its instructional program around the students as individual learners, determined to prepare them for the opportunities that will define the lives of graduates in the twenty-first century.
This year, Live Oak transitioned to a new program leadership model to provide even greater support for day-to-day divisional management, while still allowing for continued progress on strategic program priorities. Both division directors (Lower School and Middle School) report to the head of divisions, who next year will become the associate head of school. Because this model was finalized only late in the spring earlier this calendar year, the school appointed one-year acting directors for both divisions from within the faculty for the 24-25 school year.
Now, open application calls for both permanent division directors are running concurrently this fall, in advance of the 25-26 year. The LSDD supervises, coaches, and evaluates all faculty in grades K-4, and oversees several areas of the lower school academic program, including: implementation for curricular and student strategies; communication and engagement with guardians; and student success and restorative practices. With a highly interconnected educational environment, Live Oak is excited to run both these searches at the same time— to identify mission-aligned divisional leaders eager to collaborate with each other and other members of the Program Leadership Team, which starting in 25-26 will be led by the associate head of school.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Priority Deadline: November 18, 2024
Remote Semifinal Round: December 2 & 3, 2024
On-site Final Round: Mid-December
Decision Announced: January 9, 2025
Start Date: July 1, 2025
Salary Range: $155,000–$175,000
Reports To: Associate Head of School
Classification: Full-time, Exempt
We invite you to watch our interview with Tanya Susoev, Acting Head of Divisions (24-25) who will become Associate Head of School this coming July, and Lianna Kali, Director of Instructional Innovation. Tanya and Lianna talk about some highlights from the Lower School, the student-centered curriculum and academic program at Live Oak, and their excitement about working with the next Lower School Division Director.
We invite you to watch our interview with Tanya Susoev, Acting Head of Divisions (24-25) who will become Associate Head of School this coming July, and Lianna Kali, Director of Instructional Innovation. Tanya and Lianna talk about some highlights from the Lower School, the student-centered curriculum and academic program at Live Oak, and their excitement about working with the next Lower School Division Director.
How to Apply
- If you have not done so already, download the opportunity statement.
- Prepare your application materials, which are described on the last page of the opportunity statement.
- Click on Apply Now, which will take you to our application portal, where all applications will be processed.
- Follow the instructions on that application portal to upload your documents.
- Applications received on or before November 18 will receive priority review.